Now, Present Day...
117. 118. 119...
Pan Wukun counted the number of coins she had left in her money bag, laying them out on the table.
...120 coins left.
Good. There was still enough to resupply for her travels and rest another night at the inn.
Time to head out to the market for the day.
Pan Wukun opened the door, which bumped into something. A basket of clothing was placed on the ground. Her clothing was freshly washed and cleaned as the inn owner promised.
After she finished changing into her clothes, she headed downstairs.
The inn owner happily greeted her. "Good morning, Pan Wukun!"
The inn owner was in a cheery mood and she was in his good graces. Good time to gather some intel. "Is there news of any strange happenings lately?"
The inn owner's eyes flicked to the sword strapped to her hip. "Not much. YunmengJiang sect usually takes care of such matters."
Shit. So she was in YunmengJiang territory. She needed to get the hell outta dodge ASAP.
But she wouldn't get very far without resupplying food and other necessities.
So first, the market.
So many people...
It was the first big city Pan Wukun visited in this world.
Mo Dao Zu Shi didn't take place during any specific dynasty or historical period, with anachronistic items existing. But this was still very much Ancient China. This was probably the closest to time travel she was going to get. The history-lover in her was thriving.
She walked along the streets, resupplying for her travels with food and medicinal pastes.
Within the marketplace were food vendors selling the local delicacies. The aromas that wafted from the street foods were tantalizing...
Pan Wukun's foot started to inch away from the potato seller's table…
No! - She quickly pulled her foot back.
She shouldn't just sample the local delicacies on a whim! Money was scarce enough for her as is. Necessities only.
She couldn't just spend her time here leisurely. She mentally scolded herself. - YunmengJiang sect territory, remember? Get. The. Hell. Outta. Dodge. ASAP.
The potato seller set a bag of potatoes on the table and held his palm out for coins. "Right, that'll be-"
Startled cries and gasps broke out from the crowd.
Pan Wukun looked towards the crowd then turned back to the potato seller. "Hold on, I'll be right back."
She should've known better. She should've kept her mouth shut.
The burly man pulled the prostitute along by her hair, dragging her out of the brothel. He tossed her out onto the street, completely naked.
Now she was exposed for all to see. A crowd gathered, many of them men with glinted eyes leering at her.
"Ha! This whore claims she's still fresh! Thinks she can cheat money out of me! I'll show her exactly how worthless she is!" The burly man raised his hand, ready to strike the woman.
The prostitute cowered and shut her eyes, bracing herself for the blow.
But it never came.
Puzzled, she opened her eyes.
"What! You! Unhand me right now!"
A young man tightly grasped the burly man's wrist in his hand.
With his other hand, the young man tossed a blanket to the fallen woman. She quickly covered herself with it.
The young man spoke, his voice filled with disgust. "Being so vicious and violent towards a defenseless woman? Shameful."
The burly brute started to speak, "You! It's not my fault the whore - Argh!"
The young man twisted his wrist painfully. "Apologize."
"What! Don't be ridiculous!"
Even more twisting of his wrist.
"Argh! Alright! Alright! I apologize to the whore!"
Harsher squeezing of his wrist.
"Hm? You just called her a whore. Several times. What kind of apology is that? Care to repeat it?"
Tears brimmed out of the brute's eyes. "Agh! I apologize to the lady!"
The young man nodded. "There. Much better." He released the brute's wrist.
The brute staggered to the ground, nursing his aching wrist.
Everyone looked upon this spectacle in awe. Such strength for a small man!
The young man glared down at the brute. "Oh. And pay up."
"What?"
"Pay. Up. You owe this lady a gracious compensation for such misbehavior, yes?" The young man's hand hovered near his sword, daring the brute to disagree.
Wait. A sword?! That meant he was-!
"Y-yes! I shall!" The brute nervously moved towards the fallen prostitute, dropping a bag of money in front of her.
The brute looked up at the young man fearfully, afraid that he may yet commit another offensive action that got him more than just a wrist-twisting.
But the young man didn't move, directing hardened eyes at the brute. "If I catch word of you treating anyone else this way…"
The man nodded his head rapidly and bowed, his head and knees touching the ground. "Yes! Yes, I understand!"
Pushing through the pain in his wrist, the brute clasped his hands together. "T-Thank you for sparing me, esteemed cultivator!" With that, he pathetically slinked away.
The young man glared at the onlookers. "Show's over. Leave."
The crowd scattered and continued on with their business.
The young man knelt down to assist the woman. "Are you all right, lady?"
"A-Yao. A-Yao," the woman whispered.
"A-Yao?" the young man asked.
She looked at him pleadingly. "My son! Please. He is hurt!"
The young man nodded. "Yes. Don't worry. I shall help your son."
His hand hovered near the woman's arm. "May I?"
The woman nodded and the swordsman held her arm lifting her to her feet.
"Meng Shi!" Another prostitute hurried out of the brothel.
"Sisi!"
Sisi looked over Meng Shi worriedly. "Are you all right? Where's that bastard? I'll curse his ears off and empty his wallet!"
"I'm all right, Sisi. This young man helped me."
Sisi smiled at the young man in gratitude. "Thank you. Wish I could've gotten the chance to tell the bastard off myself."
Sisi held Meng Shi's other arm to help support her and they entered the brothel.
"Ah. Poor Meng Shi. She is truly past her prime and she should - Huh?!"
The other prostitutes in the brothel gawked in surprise. Helping Sisi support Meng Shi was a young man with a sword strapped to his hip.
His clothes were plain. - Peasant's clothing. But his sword revealed what he truly was.
"A cultivator?!" The prostitutes and brothel clients gawked in surprise.
Unlike villages, cultivators frequented cities to gather supplies, rest at inns, and indulge in the local entertainment. So city dwellers instantly recognized spiritual swords when they saw one.
The young cultivator's eyes surveyed the brothel.
A young boy lay at the bottom of the stairs, groaning in pain.
"The bastard kicked poor xiao-Meng down the stairs so hard that he can't even stand up!" Sisi explained.
The cultivator carefully lifted xiao-Meng in his arms. "Is there a place I can lay him down?"
The boy, xiao-Meng, weakly raised a hand up. "Mother. Mother."
Meng Shi squeezed his hand. "A-Yao. Do not worry. Mother is here."
Sisi and Meng Shi led the cultivator upstairs, where he lay xiao-Meng on a bed.
The cultivator noticed that xiao-Meng clutched a hand to his stomach. Meng Shi and Sisi helped remove xiao-Meng's upper garments. There lay a large nasty bruise.
The cultivator rifled his hand around in the pouch attached to his hip, taking out a container of medicinal paste.
He couldn't have fit a large container inside such a small pouch! - A magical pouch! He really was a cultivator!
He plastered the medicinal paste onto xiao-Meng's stomach without hesitation.
Meng Shi and Sisi stared on in shock, surprised that this cultivator was willing to touch lowly prostitutes without disgust.
After the cultivator finished applying the medicinal paste, he placed his hand on xiao-Meng's stomach, shutting his eyes. He seemed to be concentrating on something. A glow emanated from his hand to xiao-Meng's stomach.
After a few moments, xiao-Meng sat up in bed, rubbing a hand on his stomach in awe. "It-it doesn't hurt that much anymore."
Meng Shi hugged xiao-Meng in relief. She turned to smile at the cultivator. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
The cultivator smiled. "Of course. Glad to help."
"May we know the name of this esteemed cultivator?" Meng Shi asked.
"Pan Chun, courtesy name: Wukun."
"Ah! Many thanks, Pan-gongzi!"
"Please address me as 'xiushi'[1]. Besides practicing the cultivation arts, I am but a humble farmer."
With the clothes this young man wore, everyone could certainly believe he was a farmer. But they all cast doubtful gazes at the sword strapped to his hip.
"I am Meng Shi. This is Sisi." Meng Shi gestured to xiao-Meng proudly. "And this is my son, Meng Yao."
Pan Wukun froze.
"Meng Shi…Sisi...Meng Yao….?" Pan Wukun stared blankly at each person as he said their names.
"Pan-xiushi, will you consider training A-Yao in the cultivation arts?" Meng Shi's face brightened with hope. "You shall be paid generously, of course."
Pan Wukun didn't respond. His face was rapidly draining of color.
Sisi's hand hovered near Pan Wukun's shoulder. "Are you alright, Pan-xiushi? You seem unwell."
Pan Wukun seemed to snap out of a trance. "A-Ah! It's nothing! I'm just feeling tired, that's all! I must depart and rest now!"
But just as Pan Wukun turned to leave, something tugged on his sleeve.
"Please…" Meng Yao whispered.
Meng Yao was but a small, scrawny, and weak child. He clung onto Pan Wukun tightly with desperation.
But Pan Wukun refused to relent. "I'm sorry. But I must be leaving."
Pan Wukun tugged Meng Yao's hand away from his sleeve and left.
Back in her inn room, Pan Wukun cursed. - I should've known I was in Yunping!
She should've made sure to double-check her map before entering any city! She would've been better off camping outside in the rain than dealing with this bullshit!
She bit a large chunk out of the potato she held in her hand. - Ah. Comfort food, I have never needed you more.
She washed her hands and face and then sprawled onto her bed.
First Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu? Now Jin Guangyao?
Why the hell was she encountering antagonists one after another?
It had only been a year since her close brush with Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu that night at the sword smithery.
What were the odds for her to encounter this many canon characters in a short span of time? What?!
Wait. Wasn't Jin Guangyao good at remembering people after only meeting them once?
The Yunping brothel prostitutes who mistreated his mother and mocked him...
Years later, he never forgot what they did.
He had Xue Yang burn those prostitutes alive...
Pan Wukun shivered. - Jin Guangyao knows my name and face. Someday, he'll find out my whereabouts and kill me!
"Cứt! Cứt! Cứt!"[2] - Pan Wukun punched her pillow each time she cursed. She let out a long groan into her pillow.
"Fucking damn it."
"Did you see how xiao-Meng recovered so quickly after Pan-xiushi treated him? Truly, cultivators have remarkable abilities!" one of the prostitutes murmured excitedly.
"Ah. It's really too bad Pan-xiushi didn't stay behind to teach xiao-Meng his ways. Then perhaps Meng Shi would have a sliver of hope and not be so deep in denial," another prostitute said.
The prostitute, Anxin, snickered into her hand. "That Meng Shi. Did she really think Pan-xiushi was going to waste his time with xiao-Meng?"
As the prostitutes gossiped about the day's events, Meng Shi and Meng Yao prepared for a night's rest in their room.
Meng Shi helped her son change into sleepwear. "A-Yao, how are your injuries?"
Meng Yao's stomach was still a bit sore. But Pan Wukun's medicinal paste and special cultivation technique relieved most of the pain. "I am all right, Mother."
Meng Shi smiled, giving Meng Yao a kiss on the forehead.
"Mother…" Meng Yao looked at his mother sullenly. "What do I do now? Even rogue cultivators think they're too good for lowborn folk like us."
"A-Yao, it's all right that Pan-xiushi chose not to train you. Perhaps this is fate's way of telling us that this is not the right time for you to start your cultivation training. Pan-xiushi is not the right teacher. You will get proper cultivation training from LanlingJin sect." Even as Meng Shi said this, her smile was strained.
Meng Yao's heart ached with pity for his mother. "But Mother, Father hasn't arrived in so long. We can't just keep waiting!"
"A-Yao, you mustn't lose hope so easily. Your father will rescue us when he can." Meng Shi held a pearl between her fingers reverently.
The pearl was the only thing the LanlingJin cultivator left Meng Shi other than a son. A son he never met or even knew about. If he even cared to know at all...
Upon seeing the pearl, Meng Yao felt a flash of anger. - If Father truly cared about us, wouldn't he have come for us by now? Why Mother, should you have to deal with this kind of horrible treatment daily? When you deserve so much more...
Knock! Knock!
Meng Shi and Meng Yao paused in surprise.
The brothel was closed. No patrons were accepted at this hour unless they were extremely wealthy and from a notable family.
Could it be…?
Meng Yao jumped to his feet. - Father?
The door opened wider, to where Meng Yao could see the newly arrived person's clothing.
Meng Yao's heart dropped, his hopes yet again dashed.
No. Those weren't LanlingJin sect robes.
...
Peasant's clothing? Wait. The same shade of dark blue from earlier...And that face!
Meng Shi gasped. "Pan-xiushi! What brings this esteemed cultivator back here?"
Pan Wukun glanced at Meng Shi and then stared directly at Meng Yao. The cultivator's expression was firm, his lips set in a thin line and his gaze intent.
"I have changed my mind. I will teach Meng Yao cultivation."
Glossary
[1] Xiushi: Term of formal address for a cultivator.
[2] Cứt: "Shit" in Vietnamese.
A/N: Fun fact: Pan Wukun actually stayed at the same inn that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji stayed in while they were investigating Jin Guangyao's background in Yunping City.
Now that Pan Wukun is Meng Yao's cultivation teacher, there is no escape from canon for her muahahahahaha.
I've been pretty busy with real-life responsibilities over the past few months. Trying out a new job for two months before quitting because it just wasn't for me. Helping my family out with things.
I've also been playing Miitopia(Switch) and Tomodachi Life(3DS) using myself and MDZS characters. It's so fun and addicting.
Miitopia: Cautious Thief Me, Energetic Warrior Wei Wuxian, Stubborn Mage Jiang Cheng, Laid-back Cleric Nie Huaisang, and our horse, Lil' Apple embark on a quest to save the world from face-stealing Dark Lord Wen Ruohan.
Tomodachi Life: My Mii Lookalike, Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, Nie Huaisang, Nie Mingjue, Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji, Lan Qiren, Wen Qing, Wen Ning, Luo Qingyang, Mo Xuanyu, Jin Guangyao, and Jin Zixuan all live together in an apartment on an island (I'll make more MDZS character Miis eventually). So many shenanigans and meme material (The Miis Naruto Run omg?).
Character Ages (as of this chapter)
Nie Mingjue: 18
Pan Wukun, Jiang Yanli, Lan Xichen: 15
Meng Yao, Jin Zixuan: 14
Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng, Wen Ning, Nie Huaisang: 13
Note: I chose specific ages from the age ranges listed in the AO3 work: On Character's Ages by thewickling (Diviana)
Huge thank you to author: thewickling (Diviana), for your hard work and research.
Nie Mingjue was confirmed to be five to six years older than Nie Huaisang in an author interview, which is noted on the MDZS wiki.